Steve Mosko Re-Ups As President Of Sony Pictures TV

EXCLUSIVE: I’ve learned that Steve Mosko has quietly renewed his deal as president of Sony Pictures Television. This year marks Mosko’s 20th anniversary at Sony, where he oversees the entire global TV business: production, distribution and channels. I hear he was a frontrunner for the CEO of Tribune job but chose to stay. The exact length of Mosko’s new multiyear deal is unclear; his most recent contract was for four years. He reports to Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal.

Mosko, who joined Sony in 1992 as a syndie sales executive, was named domestic TV president in 2001 when Sony’s chief executive Howard Stringer had dramatically downsized the company’s U.S. operation to a point of almost ceasing TV production. Over the past decade, Mosko has rebuilt the company’s domestic TV business. Sony became the first major studio to embrace cable with FX’s The Shield, Rescue Me, Damages, followed by AMC’s Breaking Bad and FX’s Justified among others. It has Masters Of Sex coming up on Showtime.

Additionally, Sony is the only major studio that produces all forms of TV programming — primetime network and cable scripted series (Rules Of Engagement, Community, Happy Endings, upcoming Last Resort and Made In Jersey), daytime talk shows (Dr. Oz, upcoming Queen Latifah talker), daytime soaps (Days Of Our Lives,The Young And The Restless), syndicated game shows (Wheel Of Fortune, Jeopardy!), reality shows (Shark Tank), TV movies (History hit Hatfields & McCoys, Lifetime’s upcoming Steel Magnolias), as well as digital programming (multi-platform video network Crackle). In 2009, Mosko added oversight of Sony TV’s international TV division, including Sony’s 120 international TV channels and local production (Sony TV has been the most active in setting up local versions of U.S. comedy hits like Married… With Children, The Nanny and Everybody Loves Raymond).

Sony’s channel group, which also includes GSN in the U.S., is one of the biggest in the industry. While it rarely draws media attention, Sony’s international operation has been a major revenue generator. The same goes for Sony’s TV division as a whole. While the company only reports combined financial results for film and TV, television reportedly contributes well over 50% of Sony’s operating income.

Sony has sold Rules Of Engagement in syndication and to Netflix; and Community to Hulu and UK’s LoveFilm. The studio also has been successful in fighting for bubble series, like Rules, and cancelled ones (Fox’s Breaking In and CBS’ Unforgettable were both renewed after originally axed.)

Sony has had a strong selling season, landing the biggest commitment in years — a 22-episode order by NBC for a Michael J. Fox comedy produced by Will Gluck. It also stirred a bidding war for an Eddie Murphy-Shawn Ryan Beverly Hills Cop reboot, which landed at CBS with pilot production commitment. Two years ago, Sony TV tweaked its overall deal strategy, pulling away from pod deals with non-writng producers in favor of creators-showrunners. Its remaining pods — Jamie Tarses’ Fanfare, Happy Madison, Gluck’s Olive Bridge Entertainment — are all very active, along with such creators as Ryan, David Shore and Michael Dinner.

10 Comments

Peter Tolan • on Sep 26, 2012 11:01 am

A truly great guy. Congrats, Steve!

Mosko Fan • on Sep 26, 2012 12:44 pm

I was a summer intern at SPT in 2007, and at the end of the term Steve invited every intern from all departments to a catered breakfast at the Wilshire offices. We then sat with him around a conference table while he gave us career advice and answered any and all questions we had. Something I’ll never forget, and I’m sure he’s one of the few (if not the only) studio heads to do something so generous. Congrats Steve!

InkStainedWretch • on Sep 26, 2012 1:10 pm

I’m happy and glad to see that Mosko re-upped with SPT, and opted to stay away from that Tribune CEO deal — especially since Sam Zell has driven Tribune into the ground and STILL has it in the world’s longest bankruptcy reorganization process (something like almost 3 years, right?!).

I’m not sure what Peter Ligouri might be thinking taking that Tribune CEO post, but I gotta think joining Zell there is a lot like stepping onto quicksand with an elephant. (I hope Ligouri is getting a LOT of money, because I’m not sure how long it will last…well, at least until Zell sells off Tribune for bargain-basement price post-bankruptcy!)

Steve Mosko’s a smart enough veteran TV player to know when he’s got a really good, unique gig at a largely independent studio. Who would have thought AFTER the iron-fisted, sometimes myopic and micro-managing (but profitable) rule of syndie TV predecessor, Barry Thurston, that Mosko would really CREATE entirely new business models and templates for the merged Sony syndie and production divisions in the ever-evolving online video streaming, and cable and broadcast network TV businesses.

His success in remolding SPT and taking over the international division — at times when it appeared parents Sony Corp. USA and Sony HQ in Japan may be pulling up stakes on the U.S. television business — speaks to Mosko’s long-standing knowledge and expertise when it comes to understanding how domestic syndication and international are the back-end revenue/profit generators…and making them Sony Pictures’ biggest contributors.

My hat is off to Steve for what he’s accomplished, surviving in this ever-consolidating (and sometimes contracting!) corporate media environment — and a huge congrats on securing a four-year renewal deal to boot! :-D

I worked on a couple of consulting projects for Steve a few years ago. He listened, asked for the bad news upfront, and took decisive action. What more can one ask for in a leader? One thing that is strange is why Steve keeps Ed Lammi around?

Anyway, congrats Steve!

Ron Geller • on Sep 27, 2012 2:25 pm

Congratulations to Steve. He was one of the more pleasant guys I worked with during my SPE years.

Tony Cassara • on Sep 27, 2012 2:58 pm

Steve you have always been a class act and a real asset to Sony.
You are truly one of the best in the business.